(GoHealthier.com) – The idea of washing our hair with beer may seem like a strange one. But it turns out that beer may have a lot of benefits for hair and nails. The key to getting full value from it is using it the right way, so it improves the look and feel of the hair.
Beer May Make Your Hair Stronger
When people use beer to wash their hair, they get malt and hops. As it turns out, those may both be good for nails and hair. They’re both full of proteins that strengthen the hair’s cuticles, helping to make it stronger and more resistant to damage.
The cuticle wraps around the outside of the hair shaft, and it’s a layer of dead cells that offers protection. When damaged, these cells are rough. They also don’t provide as much protection to the hair shaft. But the proteins in beer may help realign these cells, so they offer better protection to the rest of the hair.
Beer May Increase Shine
If we’re looking for shinier hair, beer may be at least part of the answer. B vitamins and sugars in beer may contribute to shine and make hair softer and more manageable. The protein binding with hair cuticles reflects light more easily, and that may mean hair looks like it has more shine.
How to Use Beer on Your Hair
For shinier, stronger hair, use beer as a rinse rather than a shampoo. Mix beer at room temperature with equal parts of water. Make sure to include a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to reduce the beer smell in the hair.
Use the rinse after shampooing and conditioning, and leave it on the hair for several minutes before rinsing it out. Once or twice a month is the recommended usage, as it’s not necessary — or a good idea — to use the beer rinse every time we wash. The beer rinse may also be transferred to a spray bottle and spritzed onto the hair as a leave-in conditioner.
Are There Risks to Putting Beer in Hair?
Using beer as a rinse too frequently may dry out the hair, which is why once or twice per month is enough. It’s important to balance getting the shinier, stronger hair benefit with hair moisture. Otherwise, hair might actually appear duller and more brittle instead.
Adding apple cider vinegar to the rinse is important because skipping that step may cause the beer smell to linger. Especially for work or social events, it could be counterproductive to smell like beer.
For anyone looking to have stronger, healthier, and shinier hair, a beer rinse may be the right choice. While not a miracle cure for damaged or dull hair, using beer in the hair a couple of times per month may mean hair that looks and feels better over time. With few risks and the potential for significant rewards, there’s very little harm in giving it a try.
~Here’s to a Healthier Life!
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